Injection spiking Sheffield: More incidents reported to police

The force recently revealed that three young women in Sheffield were the victims of injection spiking in Code on Eyre Street and Popworld on Carver Street over Halloween weekend in Sheffield.

The women, two aged 18 and one aged 19, were hospitalised but have since been discharged.

There were also reports of injection spiking in Barnsley over the same weekend.

Despite police warnings, extra police patrols and officers working with pubs and clubs to try to prevent injection spiking, the force has now admitted that there were reports of more incidents last weekend.

It has not yet been revealed where the spiking is reported to have taken place or how many victims there were.

South Yorkshire Police said: “There have been some reports over the weekend of further spiking incidents across South Yorkshire. Investigations into these are at an early stage and officers are working to determine the exact nature of these incidents.

“We are continuing to work with venues to ensure they have suitable plans in place to help prevent incidents. We encourage anybody who believes they may have been a victim of spiking to report it immediately so it can be investigated.”

Sheffield MP Paul Blomfield discussed his concerns about injection spiking in the city in the House of Commons yesterday.

The latest Government figures suggest around 200 injection spiking incidents have been reported across the country.

Anyone with information on those involved in injection spiking should call South Yorkshire Police on 101.

The force has issued the following advice to men and women on nights out.

- Never lose sight of your drink - keep an eye on it from the moment you order it and never leave it unattended. If you need to visit the toilets, make sure a friend is watching your drink.

- Whilst it’s great to meet new people, be cautious if someone offers you a drink. If you haven’t seen it being prepared, refuse it. If it doesn’t taste right, don’t finish it.

- Feeling unwell and think you may have been spiked? Seek medical advice and stay with someone you know. It might be tempting to get outside and away from a crowd but stay in a safe place. Tell a staff member at the bar, club or venue as quickly as possible and report to police as soon as you can.

- If you’re heading on a night out with friends, always plan how you are going to get home in advance.

- Make sure your phone is charged up before you head out. Consider buying a portable charger to take out with you in case you need a boost.

- If you’re leaving a night out on your own, always tell a friend where you are going and ask them to check in on you. Similarly, always check in on your friends if they have to leave an event early by themselves. If you are getting home by yourself, consider downloading a tracking app on your smart phone to share your location with friends or family and let them know when you are safely home. Never let a drunk friend go home on their own, always accompany them.

- If you decide to take a taxi, make sure they are licensed by checking they have a medallion number. Always try and pre-book your taxi wherever possible.

- If you’re using Uber, did you know you can share your journey with a friend? This means they can watch your journey home on their own smartphone. Simply tap ‘share my trip’ under settings and select the contact or contacts you would like to share with.

- If you have an iPhone, did you know you can set up emergency SOS? This means that you can call 999 and send an immediate GPS location to your emergency contacts by pressing the side button five times.

- If you have been a victim of a crime, it is not your fault. If someone is making you feel unsafe, call the police. Call 101 or 999 in an emergency. We are here and we will listen to you.